Nintendo announces new Wii Family Edition news

With the Wii U already on the horizon, Nintendo is releasing one last new version of the Wii, called the Wii 'Family Edition'. The differences with the Wii we know are that the Family Edition is designed to lie horizontally rather than stand vertically and that this model is not compatible with GameCube games or controllers. Furthermore, this version will be even cheaper than the Wii already is, so that the sixty people who still haven't gotten themselves a Wii might be able to finally do so now. This is somewhat of an unusual move on Nintendo's part; they normally do not redesign home consoles during their life cycle.

However, Nintendo has had some disappointing financial results lately (even turning a loss in a recent quarter!), so perhaps desperate times call for desperate measures (see also the recent large 3DS price drop). The exact price and release date of the Wii Family Edition haven't been announced yet. What is known is that it will come bundled with Wii Sports and Wii Play. Rather old games, but new Wii owners probably won't care much.

Here’s the scoop from Official Nintendo Magazine (including typo):

A new streamlined Wii console will be released in the UK before Christmas.

The Wii will be released as part of a new value bundle which comes with Wi Party and Wii Sports.

According to Nintendo, the console is a streamlined white Wii with a slightly altered configuration, which is designed to sit horizontally rather than vertically.

However, unlike the current Wii, it will no longer play GameCube games and isn't compatible with the controllers.